Jojo27

Looking forward to another one of your great reviews.  Thanks too for sharing all your precious memories you are making with your dad. Enjoy your cruise.   

Great review thanks  for sharing your travel adventures. You should write a book or two on traveling, bars food ect - would  be a hit for sure safe travels.

Thanks for another great review and  loved all your pictures.   If you fly Alaska airlines and have a frequent flyer number they are partners with Iceland air, just send them your Iceland air flight  info to claim you miles.  As I recall took a couple months for the miles to hit my AA account once I sent the request.  

Love your reviews, informative and fun to read- thanks for taking us along on your trip.

Think the ship might be the difference in selections available, especially wine. 

Did the Breakaway out of Nola in December and stayed in the Haven.  First day or two great wine selection, and no issues getting good bottles at dinner.  As the week progressed they ran out of most of the wine I liked, even by the glass.  What was very disappointing is they would offer a substitute for the wine I wanted, and knowing my wines, what they offered was not what I would consider a premium wine.  No issues on hard liquor, my husband likes high end gin and whiskey.  I did talked to the BM while on board and got the supply chain issue reason, which I totally get, but then don't offer a package you cannot deliver. 

Sent a nice email post cruise to share my concerns about offering something that I paid for that they did not deliver on, and they refunded my premium package upcharge, which I was not asking them to do, so pleasantly surprised.

Went on the Bliss in March, not in the Haven .  The Bliss does have a Cellars wine bar, not sure if that was the difference maker but great selection of wine by the glass and by the bottle at dinner.  No issues either on liquor.

We received an email about the change for our May Breakaway cruise and it did not speak to environmental issues.

Replacing Corfu with Olympia, gives us an extra hour in Mykonos and an earlier arrival in Malta.  Is there a fuel costs savings by not going to Corfu then to Malta? Probably, but that is the world we live in today.  Everything costs more, and every cruise line and most businesses for that matter are looking for ways to improve profit and recover from losses during the pandemic.  It is the choice you have to make before booking a cruise, and if the cost cutting changes are deal breakers people should choose another form of travel.  

Maybe a misprint?  Our email said the 10% coupon would show in our online account 3-21-22 and discount is good through 12-23

Last time we were on the Epic it did, just off the Joy and it did not.

Next time you are on an NCL cruise, in the Haven or not, ask the hotel director what are the duties of a butler in a Haven suite and they will tell you,  want ever the Haven guests wants.  Would I have them unpack my clothes, no, but leaving them a note or telling them your preferences is what they expect.  You can use their services as little or as much as you like. We always  tell them what we like for snacks so we don't waste food.   Same goes with the type of coffee we like, nothing GA Dave said in his note to the butler is rude or disrespectful.  Butlers cover many rooms and often a note is easier on them vs having someone call them 24/7 with requests and having them run room to room.

We were on this cruise as well and had a fabulous time.  The crew was outstanding and we did not have any issues with the tender process at either tender port that we tendered.

Agree, it was disappointing missing two ports,  but better safe than sorry.    Going into Newhaven we were on the Port tender  and one of the workers told us that a RCC ship missed both Newhaven and Invergordon the same week due to wind/weather so feel fortunate we made at least one of the two stops.  

Food is always very subjective but we did not have a bad meal.  I avoid the buffet at all costs so cannot comment on the food there, but all other dining locations were good to great IMO.  Agree with you on the smoke in the Casino, wish NCL would stop any smoking indoors.

Hope you managed to enjoy all the other ports, I felt lucky to see the beauty of Iceland, Norway and most of the day in Edinburgh rain free.

6 hours ago, gymbomb said:

 

They consider all suites to be the same "class"

Makes sense, thanks for the clarification

When I get the bid offers it is more than two room classes higher, all the way up to the top suite level if open, from a balcony.

Great review- thank you.

Looking forward to another great review, thanks for taking the time and all the great pics.  Love the scavenger hunt  surprise you are doing for your wife, cannot wait to see the outcome.

Any other NCL platinum cruisers wish they would do away with paper certificates and just add your platinum dinners to your room card like the do UDP?   Would think the savings on printing and paper would be a win for NCL and I wouldn't have to remember to remember to bring to dinner (or go back to my room to get when I forget )

We just can back from 2 1/2 weeks in Alaska a week + pre-cruise then a cruise from Seward to Vancouver. We drove down the Kenai Pennisula and stayed 2 days in Homer. Rented a wonderful and reasonable priced place thru Airbnb and also went halibut and salmon fishing. Per our fishing guide there are over 180 Airbnb in the Homer area. We left Anchorage in the morning stopping at Aleyska resort on the way down and were in Homer by about 3:30. Coming back we stopped along the way to check out other fishing locations on the Kenai and took the tunnel into Whittier to have a late lunch then we got back into Anchorage about 4-5. IMO a very nice a easy drive for a 2 night stay. Then spent a few days exploring the Anchorage before heading to Denali. So much to see no matter what you decide you will not be disappointed.

We rented a car in Quebec and did a one way rental to Boston, spent a night in VT and and one in NH on are way back down, was a beautiful drive and the car rental was reasonable.

We are also cruising out of Seward and doing the land package through the cruise line from Fairbanks to Seward so we have Denali covered in that part.

We looked into doing the reverse, flying into Anchorage, renting a car and making our way up to Fairbanks. One way rentals via various sites, at least what I found, were close to $1000 - maybe a one way from Fairbanks down will be less, not sure. A one way flight from Anchorage to Fairbanks was about $99, so that decided it for us, rent a car in Anchorage and explore the Kenai peninsula and fly to Fairbanks, 5 day care rental about $250.

Thanks for the quick reply and great info, happy traveling!!

JP-Cruise

If you check this thread again, curious about the optional excursion you mentioned that the tour guide will share with you when you meet them in Fairbanks, noticed in the NCL details that there is are optional tours the first evening in Fairbanks, do you recall what if any they offered? thanks

Thanks- my lips are sealed :lips-sealed:

How far in advance were you advised you could cancel the Tundra Wilderness Tour and change to the longer, Katishna Experience? We are doing the 12 day land/sea package in August and wasn't aware you could make any changes to the tours. Thanks

I have taken my girls who have a different last name than me several times no issues, no letter needed from their father- all on NCL -

We were on the Epic last spring break and they showed playoff games, had extra TVs set up in O'Sheehans. Not sure if they played all games but asked if they were going to show the Oregon/Kansas game and they did. Enjoy!

Agree on Los Lobos, great addition and to the specialty restaurant line up and also love the wine bar. Enjoy your cruise!